What a hidden treasure there is in Farmington, Missouri! Tucked away unpretentiously in one corner of an old pants factory, Mario's Italia serves up a meal to remember. And, what makes me wish I could give them 10 stars: A majority of the main entrees on their menu have a GLUTEN FREE OPTION! And they are GOOD! The salads are fresh, loaded and generous, the pasta (and, ohmygoodness the SAUCES!) are fresh and fantastic. The waitstaff is quick, kind, and works hard to make sure you enjoy your visit.
The seated dining area is clean and done in a minimalist fashion...some really cool lighting on the wall, as well as a really interesting clock as you enter, both done in a bit of a steampunk fashion.
We just happened on them looking for a new place to go one day. Return visits will be very intentional! :) :) :)
Really good BBQ, however the staff is not as knowledgeable on what is gluten free and what is not, the staff at the Downtown STL and the O'Fallon, IL locations are in to of it and even have it labeled on the menu. However the staff worked together and figured it out and all was tasty, and I did not seem to get any gluten. No Ski in the Excel fountain is also very disappointing.
We ordered gluten free paste. While we waited for our order the server asked us 3 times how we were doing. Once we got our food, he never came back to check on us.
The food is absolutely authentic! If you're from out of town, order one level up from what you would normally get or get extra spices on the side, the locals have something against spicy foods. You can substitute ANY noodle with rice or rice noodles. I don't know if they use the same pan though, celiacs should ask (just intolerant here). If you're missing Thai food, no need to make the drive to St. Louis, we've got a great place here that measures up to any of them. And try the Thai iced tea, it's fantastic!